Biological specimen testing, especially the testing of fecal samples is commonly used for detecting, diagnosing and monitoring a variety of diseases. Saliva swabs are often used to test for abused drugs. In most cases, a first instrument is used to collect a sample which is then packaged into a special enclosure for handling or shipping. In the laboratory, the specimen is usually diluted into a solution which is exposed to a mobilized binding member, conjugated to visually detectable label such as colloidal gold, that can bind to an analyte in the specimen which is specific to the condition being tested. Bound analytes are then analyzed by accumulation within a chromatographic immunoassay strip or the like having a region of immobilized binding members which signal the test result.
These various manipulations requires the handling of diverse containers and testing instruments. In order to simplify the procedure and reduce the risk of contamination, attempts have been made in the past to combine these containers and instruments. In a patent application disclosed in Publication No. U.S. 2006/0188939 Gao, a specimen collector and dissolving solution enclosure are packaged in a single housing for shipping. In the laboratory, that housing is coupled to a second enclosure containing one or more chromatographic testing strips. Upon coupling of the two enclosures, the analyte-containing solution is forced into the second one where it comes in contact with the testing strip.
The present invention results from an attempt to further simplify both the instrumentality and procedure for the sample collecting, shipping and analyzing processes.